The sun streamed through the arena's tall stained-glass windows, casting golden hues across the cold stone floor. The remaining gennin lined the edges, watching each duel with serious, tense gazes. In the center, the referee raised his arm, announcing the start of the battles.
The first fight was quick. Sasuke walked to the center of the arena with an indifferent look, his hands in his pockets, his body too relaxed for someone about to fight. His opponent—one of the survivors from Kabuto's team.
"Begin!"
A single sound cut through the air.
A black figure moved, and before the other could react, Sasuke was behind him. A clean blow to the back of the neck.
The enemy's body collapsed like a doll.
"Sasuke Uchiha's victory!"
The silence was replaced by impressed murmurs. Even among the Jounins, glances discreetly exchanged.
Li Shang watched silently, his eyes narrowed.
'So this is how he fights now. That seal still influences him, but he seems stable... for now.'
The next fight began. Shikamaru Nara descended into the arena with the same dejected look as always, sighing loudly.
"How troublesome…"
His opponent was a gennin from the Sound Village, who looked down on the lazy boy. However, a few minutes later, she was trapped by the shadow that stretched across the ground and lightly hit her shoulder against the wall, fainting.
"Shikamaru Nara's victory."
The audience laughed, surprised at the ease of the victory.
Then came Shino. His opponent, a gennin from the Sound Village with arms modified to emit gusts of wind, was the same one whose wrist Li Shang had broken in the forest. The twisted confidence on the boy's face didn't last long.
As the dry sound of wings filled the air, thousands of insects burst from Shino's coat, forming a dark cloud. Shino tried to resist, but the wind blasts were futile. Within seconds, he was on his knees, suffocated by the insects draining his chakra.
"Shino Aburame's victory."
The murmur of the audience was low, but full of respect.
And then, Naruto entered the arena. Kiba was waiting for him with a confident smile, Akamaru at his side, growling lowly.
"You'll lose quickly, Naruto."
The blond crossed his arms and responded with a calm smile.
"We can see that, Kiba."
The start of the fight was explosive—literally. Kiba charged forward with full force, spinning in the air alongside the dog in their combined attack. Dust rose from the impact, but when it settled, Naruto was behind him with a clone ready to strike.
The ground shook. In less than three minutes, Kiba was unconscious.
Li Shang watched carefully, his gaze focused.
'His aura… is stable. Soul cultivation has strengthened not only his soul, but also his spiritual control. This kid is really good.'
The blond smiled proudly, while Akamaru licked his unconscious owner's face.
The judge raised his hand.
"Victory for Naruto Uzumaki!"
The arena erupted in applause. Naruto raised his arms, and for a moment, the boy who had always been ridiculed seemed to truly shine.
But then Li Shang's moment came.
He rose calmly, adjusting his dark robe, the silver rings on his fingers reflecting the sunlight. Before he could descend, a voice called out to him.
"Neji."
Gai appeared beside him, his expression serious for the first time.
"Control yourself."
Li Shang arched an eyebrow.
"Control me?"
"You almost died the last time you fought Hinata. Rage blinded your heart. I hope that doesn't happen again."
Li Shang just nodded, but his gaze said it all.
'Don't worry, old man. That Neji died a long time ago.'
Descending the stone steps, he stopped in the center of the arena. Across the way, Hinata trembled visibly, her fingers intertwined. The wind ruffled her blue locks, revealing her pale eyes filled with hesitation.
"Good luck, Lady Hinata."
The silence fell like a blow. The Jounin who knew the history between the two exchanged surprised looks—including Kurenai, who widened her eyes. The gentleness in Neji's voice was something they had never heard before.
Hinata opened her mouth to respond, but the referee gave the signal.
The fight has begun.
The two activated their Byakugan simultaneously, veins bulging around their eyes. Hinata assumed the Gentle Fist stance, but her hesitation was clear.
Li Shang, on the other hand, maintained a calm, almost lazy movement, dodging each attempted attack with absolute precision. He was neither angry nor in a hurry.
When he got close enough, he murmured:
"Forgive me."
His hand shot out like lightning, striking the girl's neck with a precise strike. Hinata fainted before she could even fall, and Li Shang carefully caught her, keeping her body from touching the ground.
The judge, still stunned, raised his hand.
"Neji Hyuuga's victory."
The audience remained silent for a moment, stunned by how everything had turned out. Gai sighed in relief, crossing his arms.
'This time, he was…'
The metallic sound of the bells marked the end of another fight.
Tenten lay on the ground, breathing heavily, her body covered in scratches and her hands shaking from the exertion. Across from her, Temari rested the large fan on her shoulder with a confident smile.
"Victory for Temari of Sand Village!"
The judge's voice echoed through the arena, followed by murmurs and subdued applause. Tenten, exhausted, could barely look up. The gusts of cutting wind from the fan had nullified all her weapons, each thrown perfectly, but in vain.
In the stands, Li Shang watched attentively.
'She was reckless. Even though she realized the power difference, she insisted on a direct confrontation…'
He sighed, his eyes drifting to the center of the arena, where the next fight was about to begin.
Rock Lee descended the steps with the same intense gleam in his eyes, his posture erect and confident. On the other side, Gaara stared at him silently, surrounded by a cold, sinister aura.
The judge raised his hand.
"You may begin."
In an instant, Lee disappeared.
The air was split by a sharp sound, and a cloud of sand spiraled upward as he reappeared behind Gaara with an upward kick. The protective sand rose instinctively, blocking the blow—yet the impact echoed through the arena like thunder.
"What…? He's too fast!" exclaimed one of the gennins in the audience.
Gaara's eyes narrowed. The sand, which had previously moved on its own, seemed to lag behind, unable to keep up with the opponent's speed.
From above, Tenten, leaning against one of the walls, smiled weakly.
"He… is moving faster than before…"
Lee's blows followed one another at a terrifying pace—punches, kicks, and lunges that left craters in the ground. The audience could barely keep up.
But then, Sakura's voice pierced through the chaos.
"Lee! Stop approaching! Use ninjutsu!"
Her scream echoed, filled with despair. She remembered perfectly the boy who had risked his life to save her in the forest, facing much stronger enemies without hesitation.
For a moment, Lee paused, his gaze returning to the stands. Before he could respond, a firm, proud voice echoed above them all:
"It would be nice if he could, but…"
It was Gai, with his arms crossed and a confident expression.
"…my student doesn't know how to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He's a pure taijutsu expert!"
Sakura widened her eyes, unable to respond.
Gai then gave a thumbs up, his wide smile shining like a ray of sunshine.
"Go on, Lee! Show everyone the results of your efforts!"
Lee's heart raced. His eyes lit up, and a confident smile spread across his face.
"Sim, Gai-sensei!"
Gaara's sand surged forward like a living wave, trying to swallow the young man, but Lee disappeared again, reappearing on one of the arena's tall statues.
"I thought I was only supposed to use this if someone's life was in danger…" Lee muttered, undoing the bindings on his legs.
"I authorize!" Gai shouted, his voice echoing throughout the arena.
Lee nodded. Then, without hesitation, he released the weights that were strapped to his ankles.
The objects fell slowly, too heavy to seem like simple training.
Gaara's companions laughed, still in disbelief.
"As if that would change anything…"
When they touched the ground —
BOOOOOOOM!
An explosion of wind and dust ripped through the field, cracking part of the arena and scattering rocks in all directions. The audience instinctively bowed at the impact.
But their words died in their throats when they saw the green figure disappear and reappear before Gaara with absurd speed.
Li Shang watched silently, his gaze fixed on the boy who now seemed to be teleporting.
'Amazing… did he always carry that?'
A faint smile formed on his face. The sound of the blows echoed like echoes from a distant past, and amidst the memory, a name escaped his lips in a barely audible whisper:
"Yang Xiao…" One of the few friends he made in his past life.
The sparkle in his eyes was nostalgic—the same as that of someone who recognizes, in that instant, the pure, unbreakable power of someone who walks the path of effort, without talent, but with enough determination to move mountains.
In the arena, Rock Lee roared with passion, and Gaara, for the first time, looked… pressured.
[Author's Note:This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]